Reinvention and transformation collide at Tulane University’s Goldring/Woldenberg Complex

Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business is home to nearly 3,000 students in programs spanning the globe. The renovation and expansion of the Goldring/Woldenberg Business Complex responds to explosive growth in the number of students and the evolving pedagogy of business schools. It transforms the Freeman’s two central buildings — built seventeen years apart with different floor-to-floor heights — into a vibrant center for collaboration and study.

At home amid Louisiana’s quintessential live oaks

The new complex is nestled within a grove of heritage live oaks and features ten glass-walled classrooms, twenty faculty offices, more than thirty collaborative areas, a financial analysis lab, and a new-venture incubator. Inspired by the live oaks’ sweeping forms, the building’s four-story glass curtain undulates in curves that evoke waves — a visual connection to Tulane’s beloved Green Wave.

A resilient community takes root 

Reflecting Freeman’s innovative educational model, next-generation sustainability measures are the foundation of the new complex. A cool roof and sunshades at each level keep the temperature comfortable in New Orleans’s humid climate. The glass curtain’s thin concave shape is harmonious with the trees and boosts energy efficiency. Daily energy use is customized through occupancy sensors on light fixtures and HVAC controls. Window patterning supports the area’s rich ecosystem by reducing bird collisions. 

“I see this building as creating a major shift in the culture of the Freeman School, and that shift will come about through how people engage and interact.”  — John Clarke, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Executive Education